Farewell to Secrets
by wajag
Summary: AU Methos returns to Oregon to visit Allen, Sam, and Rocky cont. Farewell to Kings arc


Title:A Farewell to Adult for violence

Characters:M DM J OFCs

Sequels:sequel to Farewell to Kings Arc

Premise:AU Methos returns to Oregon to visit Allen, Sam, and Rocky

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Highlander characters but I'd take them in a minute if I thought I could get away with it. The chances of me making any money off this fan fiction are as slim as the chance that Panzer/Davis would make a nice gift of the whole franchise to me for my birthday. (You get the picture) One more thing, I made up the Fan Clan MacLeod, but just in case there's really a fan club out there that calls themselves that, sorry- no resemblances to fans living or dead….

**Seacouver 2014**

"Hey buddy, what brings you in so early?" Joe said with a large smile. He'd been surprised to see Methos come in the bar when it wasn't yet noon. Methos had been living with Mac in the Highlander's renovated home. According to Mac, Methos was spending his time lazing about in the sun or writing the romance novel of the century. Joe and Mac had shared amused contemplations of what Methos would consider romantic. Sure, they'd seen how Methos had been around Alexa, but Methos had teased too many times about the good ole days of picking a wife based on her spirit. He'd claimed that a high spirited and spunky woman would take care of herself without a lot of effort on his part. Joe personally thought that Methos was only paying lip service to amuse Mac. It was clear that Methos would have done anything to make Alexa happy, evidenced by the old man's rushed world tour with the terminally ill barmaid.

Methos smiled at Joe and slid onto his preferred bar stool before responding to Joe's question. "A wedding of all things."

"Who's wedding? Not yours!" Joe said taken back. His mind had just been spinning romantic notions about the old man and Alexa.

Methos chuckled, "Not likely. I haven't even dated since Alexa." Methos said as if he'd read Joe's mind. Methos sipped the beer that Joe put in front of him. "Actually Rocky Serbiano has found a lovely lady who has accepted who and what he is. They'll be exchanging vows in a week. I thought I'd stop in for a visit before the wedding."

"She knows he's Immortal?" Joe asked.

Methos nodded confirmation. "And that he was one of the unlucky winners of the government sponsored torture resort."

"She must be something pretty special." Joe commented, realizing that Rocky must have trusted her immensely to tell her of his painful past and the secret of his Immortality.

"Rocky thinks so. I'll meet her in a few days when I head down there." Methos finished off his drink and let Joe put another glass in front of him. "I know the Watchers have someone on Rocky, Joe."

"How do you know that?" Methos just raised an eyebrow. "Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to." Joe finished.

"Since I'll be at the wedding, along with Allen and Sam, I'd like to ask that the Watchers stay clear until the newlyweds go off on their honeymoon. Rocky and Allen could handle it, but Sam isn't ready for a Watcher."

"I'll see what I can do." Joe said doubtfully.

Methos looked down at his hands. "You could tell them that 'Benjamin Adams' would appreciate it."

"You know that will be dangling a carrot in front of them. They'd really like to talk to you."

Methos nodded. "If they leave the wedding alone, I'll come back here so that they can put someone on me."

Joe smiled; he knew there was a catch to Methos' apparent self-less act. Then he got it. "Because you know you can lose them any time you want."

The twinkle in Methos' eyes confirmed it, even though Methos only shrugged.

"Hey, it's none of my business if their guy loses their assignment. I'll just make sure it isn't one of my buddies."

**Oregon**

Methos slowly drove his car down the long gravel driveway to the house where Rocky, Allen and Sam lived. It was actually one of the Pro-Immortal member's summer house, but she'd generously offered it to the Immortals that she and the other Pro-Immortal group had saved from the government research lab so many years before. All of the four recovering Immortals had been anxious around people after their ordeal, Methos included. This house had been a compromise, secluded but still close to people.

It had worked. Allen, Sam, and Rocky had made tentative first steps back into the world when they arrived at the Oregon house. Now years later, they were ready to leave the security of the private haven.

Allen was buying a house closer to an antique store he'd bought and operated for several years. Sam was a partner in an automotive repair shop, and Rocky had gone to the local college. He'd found he had an aptitude for computers and had hired on at the college after he graduated. He'd met and fallen in love with Chloe Clarkston, one of the counselors at the college. Two years later, he'd finally been brave enough to tell her that he was an Immortal. Before he proposed, he'd told her that he'd been the first Immortal found and been tortured with three others. Her continued love and support had convinced him that she was the one for him, and he'd proposed marriage.

When Methos had talked to Allen and Sam by phone, they'd both said the same thing about Rocky's fiancé Chloe. She was a genuinely gentle and caring person and that Rocky had chosen well.

After hours of driving, Methos pulled up to the house and spotted Lori and her brother Jim sitting in chairs on the covered porch that wrapped the house. When Lori recognized him she jumped from her chair with a squeal of pleasure, rushing to the car as soon as it stopped. Jim followed at a much slower pace, giving his sister a moment with Ben. As soon as Methos had the seatbelt off and the car door open, Lori was jumping into his arms.

"Ben, you came!"

"How could I not?" Methos laughed at her enthusiastic greeting.

Laurie shifted her arms from his neck, to down around his firm waist, holding onto him tightly. Lori hadn't forgotten how handsome Ben was. Now many years later, he was still handsome and unchanged in appearance, but more handsome in her memory of his kindnesses. She'd scanned his hands as she snuggled into his side, still no wedding ring!

"How are you Jim? How is the biography on Grace Chantal going?" Methos asked.

"It's going well; we should wrap up the edits early next month. Thanks for the introduction by the way. Grace said she made up her mind after talking to you on the phone last year."

Methos waved off Jim's thanks. "My pleasure, more people should be aware of what Grace has done to advance medical science without cruel experimentation."

"I was sorry to hear about the UN job." Jim said.

Lori squeezed Ben's waist in sympathy. She'd been afraid for him and sad that he'd lost his chance to take back his normal life. The pro-Immortal group had blanketed the internet and chat rooms with their efforts to have people respect Ben's privacy.

Methos shrugged, "I've had to leave careers before. I could already see that I couldn't be effective if everyone knew I was Immortal."

The people in the house spotted the crowd outside and came out to greet the new arrival.

The wedding was to be a semi-private affair. The pro-immortal members that had rescued the Immortals and spent years of their lives in that cause were the first to be invited. They'd get to share in this next phase of Rocky reclaiming his life back. Allen, Sam, and Benjamin would of course be there, along with Chloe's family and a few very close friends. The presence of the Immortals would be known only by the people that already knew of it.

Methos gently disengaged himself from Lori's arms and shook hands with Allen and Sam when they reached him. He was glad to see that the haunted look was gone from their eyes and they looked at peace with themselves.

Allen noticed Ben's scrutiny and smiled. Ben was still a doctor even if he didn't have a current medical license. It was nice to know that the man that had so much to do with their recovery was still interested in their welfare. It was like having family.

Before the others got the chance to question Methos, Rocky and his fiancé approached. After Methos had shaken Rocky's hand, Rocky introduced her.

"Chloe, this is Benjamin Adams."

"It's a real pleasure to meet you. Rocky and the others speak very highly of you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Chloe. I understand your family is coming to the wedding." Methos said to move the conversation off himself.

Chloe talked animatedly about her family and how much they adored Rocky. She warned Methos that her mother loved to cook and would take his slender build as a personal challenge.

"Why don't you grab your bags and we can get you settled in before the hordes descend on us." Allen said, realizing that they hadn't let Ben get more than a few steps from his car.

Methos grabbed his bags and followed the others into the house. In order to make room for everyone that was coming and staying at the house, Allen, Sam, Rocky, and Methos would be sleeping in Allen's room. There were rented cots in each of the rooms so that they could fit the large number of expected people in the house.

Methos hung up the garment bag with his suit, and tossed his duffle bag on his cot. Allen left him so that he could freshen up. Methos pulled out fresh clothes and went to the bathroom to wash up. When he was ready, he joined the group on the porch. Rocky handed Methos a cold beer.

"I'm glad you could make it for the wedding Ben. I thought you'd still be in hiding."

Methos grinned, "I turned down Katmandu for this." He said holding up his beer and gesturing to the group.

"Were you really going to Katmandu?" Rocky asked, fascinated with the thought of traveling to far off countries. He'd never made it to Paris to see Darius' church like he'd planned.

"Before I was the UN translator I was in Katmandu. I know a peaceful village in the mountains." Methos said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He tossed it at Rocky who caught it in surprise.

"What's this?"

"Tickets for two to anyplace you want to go. The departure date is good up to two years from now." Methos had talked to Allen about this gift before deciding on it. Allen had thought it was a very good idea for his former student.

Rocky and Chloe looked at Ben in shock. This was an extravagant gift! "Thank you! We don't know what to say."

"Say you'll go and see the world." In a light hearted way, Methos talked about meeting Alexa. He described his awkward approaches to try and get her to go on a date with him.

In a brief statement, he told them how she had been dying of cancer when they'd met. He quickly went on to tell them how she'd finally agreed to explore the world with him. He had them laughing at the fun they'd had in their travels, and the private but loving wedding they'd had in Greece.

"When did she die?" Lori asked, knowing from conversations years before that Ben wasn't married at the time of his capture.

"April 28th, 1996. We made it as far as Geneva, Switzerland."

"I'm sorry." Lori said and put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Six months, six years, or six hundred years; it's the quality not the quantity." Methos said looking directly at Rocky and Chloe. "I'm glad to have loved her for as long as we had."

Rocky and Chloe held each other's hand tenderly. They had wondered about the difficulties which lay ahead for them because of Rocky's Immortality.

To switch the conversation away from his past, Methos brought up Mac's gift. "Duncan MacLeod couldn't make it, but he sends the use of his homes. He has a barge on the Seine in Paris, a cottage near Loch Shiel in Scotland, a penthouse in New York, and an estate in Japan."

Rocky and Chloe expressed their thanks for Mac's generous gift. It took another minute for Chloe to recognize Mac's name. "Is that THE Duncan MacLeod? You know him?"

The Immortals laughed and nodded. Rocky added, "He stayed in the same room that you're staying in."

"Oh my gosh, Vicky will be ecstatic!" Chloe said.

"Vicky can't know. She'd ask how we know Mac and why he was here." Rocky said gently.

Chloe realized what Rocky meant. "I'm sorry, you're right. I forgot. It's just that Vicky has a gigantic crush on Duncan MacLeod."

"Maybe later," Rocky offered. He was feeling okay with going public, but didn't want to pressure the others or put them at risk.

They talked for several more hours before calling it a night. They had lots of things to do the next day to get ready for the wedding on Saturday.

The next morning they rose and had a quick breakfast. The men took a trip into town and came back with a rental truck loaded with chairs, tables and several large canopies. It took them several hours and several beers to erect the canopies. By the time they were done, Chloe's friends and family had arrived and began to set up the tables and chairs. Chloe and a few of her close friends began to decorate with flowers and garlands. Chloe's single friends giggled while they kept an eye on the single men.

Chloe's only sibling, an older sister with two children was due to arrive later that afternoon. Rocky and Chloe's friends from work would arrive just before the wedding ceremony.

With everything done that could be done, Methos sought out Allen and told him that he was going to go for a walk.

Allen recognized that Ben might need some quiet time. Allen nodded and silently tasked himself with making sure that no one followed Ben as he walked down the trail that would take him to the shoreline.

Methos found a spot off the trail with a view of the water and sat down. He pulled out a piece of wood he'd been carving on in his spare time. He pulled out his pocket knife and began cutting the holes into the flute he was making. He'd watched his brother Silas make thousands of these over the centuries. Making one now allowed him to remember some of the quiet and peaceful moments he'd spent with the giant of a man.

While he whittled the flute holes, Methos mentally worked on the plot line to his next novel which would be about Mary Shelley's discovery of Immortals.

Methos had nearly finished the flute when he saw a young girl and boy walking down the trail from the house. Their ages and gender matched those of Chloe's niece and nephew. Methos blew a few notes on the flute so the children would know he was there and not be startled. The twelve year old girl quickly spotted him and her body language and facial expression immediately became suspicious – smart girl. The six year old boy just looked curious.

"My aunt says this is private property." She declared in challenge.

"She's right, it is. I'm a friend of Rocky's."

The girl relaxed a little. "I'm Vicky and this is my brother Nate. What's your name?"

"Ben."

"Are you here for the wedding?"

Methos nodded and put the final hole in the flute.

"What are you making?" The boy asked curiously, eyeing what Methos had in his hands."

"A pipe, you'd call it a flute."

"It doesn't look like a flute." Nate said.

Methos blew a few notes on it.

"That's pretty, play some more."

Methos played music for the kids for over an hour. They challenged him to play a song they knew, and he'd do his best to copy it on the limited range of the flute. If he didn't know the song, he made it up. The kids were laughing joyfully when their worried mother came looking for them. Chloe who was with their mother said, "I told you, they'd be fine. And look, they found Ben." Chloe introduced Ben to her sister.

"Is Ben really going to play at the wedding?" Nate asked.

Chloe laughed, "He can if he wants to."

Nate scowled at the laughing Immortal.

"I told you that you were just being gullible Nate."

"Shut up Vicky, you believed him too."

Vicky crossed her arms and glared at her brother.

"We're about to invade your peace and quiet Ben. We decided to have a bonfire and Bar-B-Que on the beach. The others are bringing the stuff down while we went looking for the kids."

"I love delivery food." Methos quipped cheerfully.

It wasn't much longer before a horde of people arrived. Allen looked for Ben and found him with the kids.

"Sorry Ben, I didn't notice the kids head down this way or I would have sidetracked them." Allen apologized.

"We've been amusing each other. I have them convinced that I'm quite the musician."

To keep the kids from getting in the way while the adults set up the fire and food, Methos fabricated a long and involved story that had the kids stacking flat rocks into a stack, one on top of the other. While the kids hunted down rocks to make their tribal markers, Rocky approached the Immortal he knew to be several millennia old. "Is that true, about the rocks?"

Methos smiled impishly. "I saw it on an album cover."

Rocky broke out laughing. "You're worse than the kids!" He said when he could finally draw breath again.

"That's how I stay young." Ben said. His face was smiling, but Rocky could see the serious look in the Immortal's eyes. "They can bring so much joy into our lives if we just let them."

Rocky nodded, absorbing what this ancient was telling him. If Rocky listened, there was a lot that an old Immortal could teach him about keeping his sanity.

Dinner was comfortable and relaxed with everyone filling up their paper plates and sitting down where they could find room around the bonfire.

Lori made sure she took the spot to Ben's right. Rocky had placed himself to Ben's left. The kids quickly claimed the area by Ben's feet. As dinner progressed, Lori watched the animated conversation that the kids had with Ben. In a conversation lapse Lori whispered to Ben. "You're very good with kids."

Ben smiled. "Lots of practice," he said vaguely.

Lori smiled. Ben had been a doctor for centuries.

Chloe's sister leaned forward and asked, "What do you do for a living Ben?" She'd noticed how good Rocky's friend was with the kids. He seemed well respected by the others who looked to his comfort.

"Mostly I travel. I spent some time in the Orient hiking the Himalayans. I'd been there many years ago and it was interesting to take my memories of the trip and compare them to my recent impressions. See how things had changed, and how they'd stayed the same."

Methos told the group about the things he'd seen on his trek. It grew dark as time passed and the group sat amicably around the campfire listening to a gifted story teller. Nate fell asleep with his head nestled comfortably in his mother's lap.

Wanting to be a part of the adult conversation Vicky asked, "Have you been to Japan?"

Methos nodded. "Many times."

"Immortal Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod got his katana there."

Methos nodded again. "Yes he did."

At the amused smiles of the adults, Vicky got petulant. "I'm in his fan club. He's traveled all over the world and he's the most famous Immortal!"

Again the adults smiled and nodded at her declarations.

Irritated at being humored for her dedication, Vicky crossed her arms and turned her back to the group, facing the water.

Allen looked at Sam. Sam looked back at Allen and a silent message passed between the two. Finally Sam nodded his agreement. Then the two of them looked over at Ben who'd been watching them.

Methos thought about what Allen and Sam were silently asking him. He looked around at the group gathered around the bonfire. Chloe had accepted Rocky's Immortality and been supportive of his request for secrecy despite the need to mislead her family. She'd accepted the possibility that she might have to leave everything she'd known in a decade or so when Rocky didn't age. Methos had already gone public as Benjamin Adams and if the rest of Chloe's family knew what Rocky was, the couple might not have to leave their life here. It was a point in the family's favor that they seemed tolerant of Immortals, Chloe's sister allowed her daughter to belong to Mac's fan club.

Methos looked at Allen and Sam and nodded once, silently agreeing.

All three Immortals looked at Rocky. It took Rocky a few minutes to look in their direction. His eyes widened at their focused attention. Methos tipped his head towards Vicky and nodded. Rocky looked over to the young girl in puzzlement. He looked back at the three of them in confusion. Methos mouthed, 'tell them.' Rocky's eyes widened in surprise when he understood what was being implied. Rocky looked at the others in turn and got a nod of agreement from each.

Rocky cleared his throat and spoke. "Actually, Vicky, Duncan MacLeod stayed in the room that Chloe and your grandmother are sleeping in. He stayed here a few years ago."

"Quit teasing me, he did not." Vicky said grumpily, but she turned back towards the group. The adults stopped talking amongst themselves and listened to see where Rocky was going with this conversation.

"This seems like an appropriate time to tell you that I'm an Immortal. Duncan MacLeod was here so that we could talk about Immortals that have gone public."

Rocky gestured towards Jim the reporter sitting next to his sister, Lori. "Jim was the reporter that exposed the government's treatment of Immortals and brought the public's awareness to our existence. He filmed his documentary on Immortals here."

The group around the bonfire was silent. Jim and the pro-immortal group looked around at the others, trying to determine how they'd react to the secret being revealed.

The adults in Chloe's family looked at Rocky, reassessing him. They adored him, and they'd never have picked him out as an Immortal! Vicky's mother made the connection first. Her eyes went wide and her hands went to her mouth in surprise. She stared at Methos in sudden recognition. "I thought you looked familiar."

Methos smiled, "I blame MacLeod. I keep trying to live a nice quiet life and just by knowing him I keep getting dragged into the public eye."

Rocky and Sam laughed.

"It's true! I was taking a vacation from him when I went to Las Vegas, he was visiting me at St. Barts, and I was his interpreter when the terrorists attacked him." Methos spread his arms to show he'd made his point.

The other adults made the association to the references Methos mentioned and their eyes went wide with surprise. They'd been hearing about this Immortal for months.

Rocky and his friends became so much more in their eyes. Chloe's mother jumped up and hugged Rocky. "We will never, ever let something like that happen to you ever again!" She said adamantly. She nodded her head to the other Immortals.

Vicky sat with wide-eyed astonishment. Vicky's mom called Vicky over to her. "Vicky, you understand that what Uncle Rocky just told us is a family secret right?"

Vicky looked like she was thinking about it. Finally she nodded, having worked it out in her mind. "Because they're like celebrities only better!"

"That's exactly right. If everyone knew, then Uncle Rocky and Allen, Sam and Ben would be bothered by television people until they had to move. Duncan MacLeod would be sad for them. You wouldn't want Duncan to be disappointed in a member of his clan would you?"

"No. I like knowing a secret that hardly anyone knows. "

Vicky's mother nodded. "And the most special part is that these four men will still be in your life when you have children and grandchildren of your own."

"Wow! I hadn't thought of that!"

_**Day of the Wedding**_

All of the people staying in the house were up early the next morning. The women went around putting up the final flower arrangements and preparing the food. The men moved tables, put out road cones, and moved furniture to the edges of the rooms. When cars began to arrive, Methos and Sam directed traffic. Methos waited until right before the ceremony to hurry in and shower. He reluctantly put on the suit and joined the bridegroom on the porch while they waited for the bride and the bridesmaids to be ready.

Chloe's mother was acting as the wedding planner so when the bridesmaids came downstairs, she paired them up with the groom's friends. She explained what she wanted before hurrying down the flower strewn aisle and taking her place.

When it was Methos' turn to escort his bridesmaid down the aisle, he extended his arm for her. The bridesmaid was one of Chloe's friends from college. The wedding went off without a problem. Methos waited until the obligatory ceremonies had been completed before he disappeared into the house to change back into his casual jeans and shirt. When no one came looking for him, he headed down to the water, seeking out solitude and quiet. He returned to the place he'd sat the day before and made himself comfortable.

In a few minutes Vicky joined him. "Does your mother know where you are?" Methos asked.

Vicky nodded. "She just said to make sure I didn't get my dress dirty."

Vicky meticulously spread a large cloth napkin next to Methos and sat down. "What's it like to be so old?" She said immediately, wanting to satisfy her curiosity.

"What's it like to be so curious?" Methos teased but he thought about her question for a moment. "I've been Immortal so long I forget what it was like to be a kid. What you read about in school, that's what some of us lived. There were no cars, no lights, no television or phones. We rode horses or walked. We burned candles and had to grow our own food. I had to hunt to put meat on the table and to get furs to make my own clothes."

"Ick!"

Methos nodded. "It was ick, but if you didn't do it you went hungry or got cold. I like the modern conveniences we have now."

"Do you really know Duncan MacLeod?"

"I do. We met in Paris…" Methos told her about Mac, leaving out the challenges and Quickenings. Instead he talked about the people Mac had helped, and the silly things that Mac had done.

"Do you know Joe Dawson?"

"I knew Joe before Mac knew Joe. I was a Watcher. Mac was the one that told Joe I was an Immortal. I'm still mad at him for that."

Vicky laughed. "Who's your Watcher?"

"I don't have one. Allen, Sam, and Rocky don't either. The Watchers are respecting our privacy because of what happened to us."

"The government," Vicky said, her voice changing to reflect her displeasure.

"I keep Joe up to date on the important things, and Joe keeps the Watchers from bugging us."

"A trade."

"A compromise."

When Vicky's mother found them, Ben was telling Vicky about an Indian tribe in Canada that made totem poles so tall it took years to carve them. "Vicky you need to run back and help pick up the chairs."

Vicky stood up. "Thank you for telling me your stories Ben." She smiled at her mother and took off running down the trail.

"I said she could stay up late to watch Mr. MacLeod on television if she helped clean up."

"I wondered why she didn't give you any resistance. I was hoping I wasn't that boring."

She laughed. "I hope she wasn't bothering you."

"Not at all, you said Mac is going to be on television tonight?" Methos asked to change the subject.

"Yes, he's going to be on a fundraiser telethon. His Watcher is going to sing."

Methos smiled as a plan came to mind.

When Methos returned to the house he closed the bedroom door and pulled out his cell phone and laptop. It took him a little time, but he finally convinced Mac to go along with him.

It was a small group gathered around the television that night. Nate had been put to bed hours ago and the others were doing other things. Rocky and Chloe were at the honeymoon suite in town. Allen, Sam, Methos, Vicky, and her mother were the only ones watching television. Vicky switched the channel and everyone got comfortable. It was an hour into the show before Vicky squealed. "There he is!"

Mac was standing on camera, but just off the spotlight, ready to go on. In a few moments he was introduced.

"Now our next guest needs no introduction, but I'm going to give him one any ways just because I like to say it. Please welcome Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod."

Applause broke out even among the people on the phones. Mac smiled and waved to the cameras as he took the microphone from the smiling MC. "A person doesn't have to live centuries to know that bad things happen to good people. HIV is an indiscriminate disease that takes victims from all walks of life and all nationalities. No one is left untouched, especially not the orphans of HIV parents. Tonight Joe Dawson and I want to show our support for Project Edan. We'd like to ask you to be generous and donate what you can." Mac paused. "While Joe and his band get ready, I'd like to read out a donation from a friend. My friend donates $50,000 in the name of my biggest fan, Vicky Baker. So Vicky, you have my personal thanks from all of us here tonight."

Vicky squealed again. "He said my name, did you hear that?"

As Vicky was ecstatically bouncing around the room, Methos went to the kitchen to get another beer. Sam followed him. "You did that didn't you?"

Methos grinned. "It's not like I was actually using my wages as an interpreter."

Sam shook his head in wonderment. "Are all you century old Immortals rich?"

"That depends on what you qualify as rich. Can Allen fully support two students and pay cash for a home and business; yes. Can MacLeod drop a couple million and not blink; yes." Methos put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Will you and Rocky be able to do the same in a few decades; yes. I know Allen has you started on a portfolio that will only grow."

Sam smiled. "I hope so; I'd love to be able to do what you did just to see the look on Vicky's face. That was priceless!"

They watched the telethon for another hour until Mac was replaced by another guest MC. Vicky was sent off to bed, still excited about MacLeod having called her his biggest fan. Then it was just the three Immortals.

"What's next for you Ben?"

"A writer I think. I've published before under another name and that publisher has approached me to do a book on Mary Shelley's inspiration for Frankenstein." Methos stood and stretched, a signal that he was going to bed soon. "Mac says I can use his office as a mailing address and stay at his house until I decide where I want to live."

Methos left the next morning along with the others. Vicky and her family headed for home along with the rest of Chloe's family. Allen was going to complete the move to his house, Sam to his new apartment in town. Rocky and Chloe would be living in her apartment near the college. The house would be empty again for the first time in years. Kate, whose family actually owned the house, had reassured the group that the house would always be available for any of the group to use when they needed or wanted to use it again.

After four hours of driving, Methos pulled into a rest stop to stretch and take a leak. After washing his hands he held the door of the restroom for several boys in Boy Scout uniforms, more still piling out of a large van. A harried looking scout master looked at him gratefully. Methos walked around the building and stopped. Standing between him and his car and was the Watcher Tribunal.

Methos slipped his hand into his coat pocket and slipped the safety off his glock. He scanned the area looking for more Watchers, his body tense and battle ready.

"It's just we three. We wanted to talk to you, not threaten you."

Methos shifted closer to a dumpster that would offer cover. "You're a long way from Paris." Methos said coldly.

"We came to see you Adam Pierson, Dr. Benjamin Adams, or should we say, Methos."

Methos had been expecting this ever since Randi McFarland had taped the interview with him. Methos had left too many threads in the Watchers to remain hidden from the group that had spent millennia keeping track of Immortals. "Not going to make a scene are you?"

The Tribunal members had not missed the Immortal's nervousness or that he had a hand in his pocket where he surely hid a deadly weapon. The air chilled from the Immortal's tone of voice. They had known this man as mild mannered researcher Adam Pierson, but this was obviously not that man. This man had lived longer than any other Immortal in a cruel and vicious world. This man could kill them regardless of witnesses, and coldly walk away, able to disappear.

Methos stared the Tribunal down. He risked another look around the rest area. Methos picked out the most protected spot and gestured the three older men towards it. When Methos was under the building's large overhead eave and out of the sight of sniper fire, and had a clear view of the area, he stopped. Keeping his hand on his gun he spoke, "so talk."

The Watcher Tribunal answered in a round robin form of response. "We put a top secret research team on you when you went public as Dr. Adams. We recognized you as Adam Pierson. We wondered what you'd been doing in the Watchers."

"We knew you weren't hunting, so you had to have been hiding."

"The relationship you had with Duncan MacLeod and Joe Dawson, and the data our researchers found supplied us with a possible name, Methos."

"We know you can disappear anytime you want, but we'd like to propose a compromise."

"We let you pick your Watcher, and your Watcher will add an extra layer of security for you."

"The Government grabbed you and all that you are could have been lost. That's too great a price to pay."

"We help 'Methos' stay out of the public eye."

"At your direction, of course." One of the Watchers added at the Immortal's narrowed eyes.

"We don't want to imprison you or shadow your every step; we just want to have the ability to help you."

"We can use our network and contacts to keep your real name hidden."

Methos observed the Watchers as they talked. He by no means believed himself infallible, but everything he read in the Watcher's words, expressions and body language told him that the Watchers meant what they said. He also knew that they wanted something. He let them continue nervously for some time before he interrupted.

"So I get to pick my Watcher."

They nodded.

"My Watcher would be empowered to interfere on my behalf to save my life, freedom, and to protect my identity."

They nodded again.

"And if my life, freedom, or identity were endangered, the Watcher organization would risk life and censure to act on my behalf?"

They nodded eagerly.

"And what would this protection cost me?"

The Watchers looked at each other nervously. "Your agreement to allow a Watcher to Watch you?"

"And?"

"If you ever decide to go public as Methos, we'd like to be the ones to announce it?"

Of course, Methos thought, The Watchers wouldn't look good if someone else found Methos before the Watcher's did!

"And?"

The Watchers looked very nervous. "We want to publish the Methos Chronicles."

At the look on Methos' face, they talked over each others words to explain. "We'd change the names you used to protect your identity."

"We've had several instances where Watchers have been trying to sneak volumes out."

"Outside organizations are willing to pay almost anything to get one and we've afraid the temptation will be too great."

"The public wants to hear more about the myth."

"Other than a few events that we know of but have no chronicles on, you've been where history has been happening, and reflect in a positive light."

Methos was silent as he thought over the impacts. He wasn't surprised that there had been attempts on the Methos chronicles. The chronicles were valuable artifacts and hundreds or thousands of years old. If he demanded translation and editing rights, he didn't care if the chronicles made it to print. All the personal stuff was in his private journals. Methos wasn't concerned about having a Watcher now either. As long as it stayed safe, he was going to stay in the city Joe was in. He could also think of several field Watchers he could trust not to get him killed. That left the secret of his identity.

"How many people know who I am?" He asked.

"The three of us, five researchers, Dawson, and whoever you've told."

"What researchers?"" Methos asked.

"Dr. Amy Zoll, Dr. Julia Harami, Dr. Marc Jeanblanc, Dr. Marjolaine LaMerc, Dr. Eugene Mohrmann."

"They were the ancient studies research team that we trusted to be discrete."

Methos thought about the five researchers. He knew them all personally. Dr. Zoll was the only one that he'd had disagreements with, due to her taking over for him on the Methos chronicles. She hadn't agreed with many of his lines of research, not knowing at the time that he was Methos. That left just a few stipulations he had to get agreement on, although he had little doubt that he'd get the Watcher's concessions.

Methos finally nodded. "Ok. But I have some conditions." At the Watcher's cautious nods Methos continued. "I pick my Watcher. No one else including my Watcher learns who I am unless I tell them. I don't want it spreading from Watcher to Watcher, and then to the rest of the world."

The watchers agreed. "I do the translations of my chronicles." Before they could protest at the possible implications of that, Methos finished. "I've had every chance to change them if I wanted to. I can read even the oldest languages like you read your native language." Methos waited for their agreement which they gave.

"I'll transcribe the chronicles to CD so that you can store it. Your five researchers can check them later." At the Watcher's continued agreement Methos sweetened the deal. "Methos' will give you a dedication so that the chronicles will be a sanctioned chronicle." When Methos knew he had them, he threw in his final stipulation. "If I go public, Randi McFarland will be the reporter that the Watchers break the story to."

"What, a reporter? No!"

"No negotiations. She already knows who I am thanks to Mac's big mouth. She gets the story or she goes live with a tape from the shooting at the UN." Randi had given Methos the tape, but the Watchers didn't need to know that.

The Watchers looked at each other in distress. A reporter had a tape of Methos at the UN shooting? This was a catastrophe!

"It's under control, as long as she gets to break the story if I decide to go public in her lifetime." Methos said firmly.

Reluctantly the Watchers nodded agreement.

_**Continued in Farewell to Mysteries**_

23 of 23


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